南瓜饼 -Sweet Potato Mochi Cakes, two ways

Happy Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year!! Technically, it’s tomorrow (2/19). It’s one of my favorite times of the year, because everywhere I turn, I see my favorite things – noodles, dumplings, rice cakes, red bean that, matcha this. The blogosphere just bursts with Asian-inspired treats. There was a time I used to hate fusion, because I was up on my high horse of authentic Chinese food, but I toppled down a long time ago. Fusion is awesome, and I REVEL in it. I think the root of my fusion hatred was when I sat down in PF Changs many moons ago and ordered dan dan mian, or some other noodle dish. It was not. It was just, not. To me, fusion then represented fake-asian or asian imposters – but I came to realize that’s not what fusion is about. It’s the ultimate creative exercise to incorporate asian flavors in nontraditional ways. It’s what I find most stimulating right now (red bean hand pies, anyone?)

Let’s have some link love, because nothing makes me happier than seeing all these lunar new year posts:

Chocolate dipped black sesame fortune cookies. Yes. Read that over again and then just go visit his site.
This cake that embodies my current two favorite flavors – matcha and black sesame
Turnip cake, which I hated as a child but now cherish.
This other cake because, Molly is awesome and matcha + black sesame, again.
Lucky dumplings and noodles, because everyone can use a bit of extra luck!
Whole fish, another food for good luck on New Year’s.
Egg tarts, only of of my favorite dim sum items in the whole world.
And OK, it might be weird to give myself link love, but I make these posts because I love the recipes, and they’re perfect for CNY!
Dumpling potstickers, because I’m making these again this weekend.
PINEAPPLE CAKE / Feng Li Su! 

Have I convinced you that Lunar New Year is a wonderful time of the year? If not, well, you should know there’s another tradition involved: hong bap 红包！！There’s a saying kids used to parrot as a joke – 恭喜发财红包拿来, which translates to “best wishes and fortunes, hand over the red envelopes”! Little red envelopes stuffed with money, usually given by family members. As a kid, I looked forward to this so that I could tuck it away for my savings! It’s like another Christmas.